Page 41 of Shut Up and Bite Me

“Easy, just sit down. You’ll settle in a moment,” she says, guiding me back onto the bed.

She steps back, but I stop her, grabbing her hand and tugging her toward me. She tumbles on top of me, her face stopping inches from mine, her warm breath drawing me closer.

The air seems to thicken around us, and I can’t tear my gaze from her lips as our breathing begins to sync.

“You said you didn’t want that life anymore,” she whispers, sucking in a sharp breath before asking, “What do you want out of life now?”

I don’t hesitate. There’s only one thing that I know without a doubt I want. “You.”

She smiles, her eyes twinkling as she scoffs happily. “You’re ridiculous…and drunk.”

“And yet I mean it anyways.”

Reaching up, I brush her hair back with my hand, cupping her jaw. “I’ve wasted so many years playing it safe, Vivian. I’m done. I want you. Only you.”

“You do?” she asks, her tone of excitement and a twinge of sadness rolled into one.

Without thought, I pull her face down, claiming her lips with my own, proving to her just how much I mean what I said.

I only pull away enough to murmur, “You have no idea what you mean to me.”

Plunging my tongue into her mouth, I pull her tighter against me, needing to be closer to her. “I’ll do anything to stay with you. Turn me into a vampire, do anything to me that grants me forever by your side.”

She kisses me ferociously, grinding her hips down onto me with delicious intent.

“Greyson,” she gasps between kisses. “I want you too.”

We melt together, our motions flowing together in perfect sync as our kiss deepens.

She pulls away and sighs. “You’re going to pass out shortly. The drug in the ale has side effects. It’s only a matter of time before you’ll be out cold?—”

The last two days have been spent poring over books, trying to find any answer to the mystery of the connection between Greyson and me.

The things I feel for him terrify me to the bone. I was hoping my feelings were nothing more than lust and infatuation. But I know it’s so much deeper than that, rooting itself in my heart and spreading further within me every day.

But it doesn’t matter what book Autumn and I read through in the council’s library; we can’t figure anything out. I wish I could leave it be and brush it off, but coincidences and accidents don’t exist in the paranormal world. There’s more to it, I just know it.

I need to feed, which is the only reason I’m leaving Autumn to continue our search alone. During the feeding period, we should drink our fill each day for two weeks, but I already missed the last two days from being here. I’m starving.

Walking out of the doors of the Barlowe, I bump into Jason. “Hey.”

“How’s it going with the pairings? Everyone behaving themselves?” I inquire, feeling bad that I haven’t checked in before now.

I’m usually much more hands-on during the Culling, but in my defense, I’ve never had Greyson with me before. He came into my life like a goddamn storm, changing everything in his path and sweeping me up in his along the way.

Jason nods. “So far, so good. No complaints from either side.”

“Good to hear.” I pat his arm as I stride past him. “I have to run, but I’ll check in again soon.”

Jason smiles kindly. “Sounds good. See you later, Vivian.”

I’ve gotten lucky with the members I’ve chosen for the High Council over the years. I may have started this entire organization and hand-selected every staff member, but I’ve been lucky that there hasn’t been a bad seed.It is a choice to be on the council but an honor nonetheless. We have had many members over the years that have served selflessly and went on to ‘retire’ from the role.

The High Council wasn’t always this large of an operation. It started out as just me hunting down and killing vampires murderously preyed upon humans. And then a few other vampires that shared the same morals joined me. Eventually, our numbers doubled, tripled, multiplied out of control that we had to come up with some way to organize it all. The High Council was born.

My ability to alter the minds of humans and other vampires certainly played a role in peaking the interest of other’s around us. My specific gifts had never been seen before and it earned a level of respect from countless vampires. Once they caught windof the council we were building, they flocked to us, wanting to be a part of it.

The High Council selects well-rounded members of local councils to fill their seats. It’s not democratic like the human world. There’s no corruption or greed. Vampires sit on their council because they care for our laws. There is no profit to be made.

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